Traveler for electric railways



2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

(No Model.)

0. J. VAN D EPOELE.

' TRAVELER FOR'ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS. No. 396,310. Q Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. J. VAN DEPOELE.

TRAVELER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 15

Fpg. 5.

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UNITED STATES 'ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRAVELER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,310, dated January15, 1889.

Application filed Tune 5, 1888.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Travelers forElectric Railways, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to improvements in traveling contact devices forelectric-railway supply-conductors of the type in which current iscontinuously supplied to a traveling motor by a device resting upon andmoving along the said conductor and being in 0011- tinuous metalliccontacttherewith.

The invention consists in the various novel features of construction andarrangement embodied in the moving contact device or carriage,hereinafter referred to as the traveler, the details relating to whichwill be fully set forth, and referred to in the appended claims.

In'the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is an end elevationshowing the traveler in position upon the conductor and the relationbetween the traveler and the device by which the conductor is suspended.Fig. 2

is a side elevation showing the traveler in its.

operative position upon the conductor. Fig. 3 is an end view of thetraveler, partly in section, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isan end view of the traveler on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an endview showing another form of the traveler in position upon theconductor. Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 7 is an end viewon the'line 7 '7 of Fig. 6.

Similar letters denote like parts throughout.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved traveler for electricrailways comprises one or more metallic wheels, A. The wheels A areformed with deep peripheral grooves a, fit-' ting over the suspendedline-conductor B, upon which said wheels travel and with which theyremain in metallic contact. At the central portion of the traveler issecured adownwardly-depending arm or pendulum, C, provided at its lowerextremity with a verticallyadjustable weight, C, from or below whichisconnected a flexible conductor, C leading to the traveling motor. Thecontact wheel or Serial No. 276,257. (No model.)

wheels A are inclosed within or between a metallic frame consisting ofside pieces or checks D, which project both in front and rear of thecontactrwheels and depend downward on each side of the conductor somedistance below the peripheries of the wheel or wheels. Thedownwardly-extending side plates D form guards, which, should thetraveler tend to leave the conductor, will themselves come in contacttherewith. The guards will also maintain the electrical. connection whenthe conductor is out of the groove a, and also prevent the device as awhole from leaving the conductor and guide it into proper position whenthe disturbing influence has ceased.

As shown in Fig. 2, my improved traveler is provided with a pair ofgrooved contactwheels, A, which are mounted upon spindles E, secured inthe walls of the side plates D in any suitable manner.

As shown in Fig. 6, but a single contactwheel is employed, the spindlethereof being secured to side plates D, which depend below the conductorin the manner described, and may have the curved outline shown in thedrawings, although it will be entirely obvious that the particularconfiguration of the side plates is immaterial, so long as they dependbelow the conductor to prevent lateral single contact-wheel is used, thependulum should be secured rigidly to the axis thereof, the travelerrocking slightly forward or backward, according to the direction ofmovement. 'lhebrace-bolts (1 may carry small rollers or additionalgrooved contact-wheels; but I find in practice that a single wheelarranged and operated as described gives good results.

The axes of the contact-wheels A may be chambered to contain a lining ortillin g, G, of

any suitable or well-known anti-friction material. The lining G comesdirectly in contact with the spindle or spindles E, constituting adurable bearing, requiring neither oil nor attendance until worn out,when the lining or contact-wheel can be readily replaced, according tocircumstances.

As shown in Fig. 2, the side plates D are united by a centrally-disposedyoke, H, which may be integral with and form a connection between saidside pieces, or be subsequently attached thereto in addition to the endstays, h.

In operation the traveler is subjected to considerable jarring andvibration, often sufficient to slightly separate the wheels from theirspindles and produce sparks, which, unless other connections existed,would soon burn and destroy the bearings, rei'idering the travelerpractically useless. To prevent this I provide contact springs orfingers in direct metallic connection with the periphery or exteriorsurface of the contact wheel or wheels. \Vhere a plurality ofcontact-wheels are employetl, as in the "form shownin Fig. 2, a numberof thin strips of copper or other suitable metal are assembled to form acontact-brush, I. The contact-brush I fits down into the upper portionof the grooves of the contactwheels A A, being secured in position andbraced down \vardly ihereagainst by the screw J passing through the yokeII.

A convenient means of forming the brush is to unite the central portionsof all the strips of which it is composed by soldering them together andthen soldering a screw cap or nut, 2 thereon, said cap being adapted toengage the screw J. IV hen but a single contactwheel is employed, thincopper plates I, supported upon the central and formed with fingers j,extending into contact with the exterior surface of the contact-wheel,may be substituted for the yoke H, screw .I, and brush I.

\Vith either construction it will be understood that the current passesdirectly from the conductor to the contact brush or brushes, which,being in metallic connection with the side plates, will convey thecurrent directly to said side plates, from which .it will flow withoutinterruption to the upper extremity of the pendulum, and thence to theconductor 0 and to the motor, thus affording ample continuousconducting-surface for 'the current without necessitating its passagethrough the bearings of the contact-wheels.

The conductor l is supported from below by ears or bails Z), located atsuitable intervals and secured to hangers K, supported in the desiredpositions in any of the several ways heretofore described by me.

It will be obvious that the advantages to be derived from the use ofdownwardly-depending side plates or guards does not depend upon thenumber or form of the contactwheels employed in connection therewith. Itwill also be apparent that the side plates may be of other constructionthan that herein shown. For example, the side plate next to the pendulummay be entirely dispensed with and the upper portion of the pendulumexpanded to constitute a chc el; or guard piece answering a similarpurpose, and also that said side plates may assume any convenient shape,their essential characteristics being retained.

Various modifications may also be made in the herein-described devicesWithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. A traveler for electric railways, compris ing a metallic contactwheel or wheels arranged to travel upon the conductor, a metallic frameinclosing the wheel or wheels, and contact devices electricallyconnecting the exterior of the wheel or wheels and the frame,substantially as described.

2. A traveler for electric-railway conductors, comprising a contactwheel or wheels adapted to move upon the'eonductor, a metallic frameinclosing the contact-wheels, contact devices electrically connectingthe exterior of said contact-wheels and the said frame, and adownwardly-extending electrical connection, substantially as described.

3. A traveler for electric-railway conductors, comprising met. lliccontact wheel or wheels moving upon the conductor, and adownwardly-depending pendulum in electrical connection with the exteriorof said contact-wheel, and provided with a weight at its lower extremityfor retaining the cont-act devices in substantially perpendicularposition, substantially as described.

4-. A traveler for electricrailways, comprising a metallic contact wheelor wheels arranged to move upon the conductor, a metallic frameinclosing the contact wheel or wheels and extending downwardly belowthe. periphery thereof on each side, contact devices electricallyconnecting the wheels and frame, and a dowliwardly-extending arm orpendulum provided with an adjustable weight at or near its lowerextremity, substantially as described.

5. A traveler for electric-railway conductors, comprising one or morecontact-wheels, an inclosing-frame extending downwardly below thecontact wheel or wheels, and a metallic arm or pendulum pivotall yconnected to and extending downwardly from the contact device, andadapted to maintain the same in a substantially perpemlicular positionand to swing forward or backward without affecting the relation betweenthe contact wheel or wheels and the conductor, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM A. STILEs, J OHN EASON.

